Chapter 8: The Inauguration Ball


Stella traipsed out of her room with a red gown in hand, twirling around through the parlor to show off the cascading skirts.

She was speaking in her formal tone, a sound only reserved for etiquette class and the occasional phone call to her mother-her vowels sounded longer and more proper, while her consonants were crisper and more enunciated. "A party is only as good as what you wear to it, and this will be an excellent party. Behold," she stopped, holding the dress out for inspection, "an Iwink Wizrahi!"

"It's fresh," Musa said. "And so definitely 'till Prince Sky sees you!"

The Solarian blushed, and they all had a good laugh at the implication-the brown-haired Crown Prince of Eraklyon was practically all she could talk about, aside from fashion and an occasional quip about classes.

Flora sighed, bringing her own blush pink gown over. "I wish we could just use magic to create outfits. It'd be so much easier than trying to find one to purchase."

"Someday someone will come up with the spell," Techna mused. "For now, though, it took me forever to find this thing!"

"I'm worried," Bloom admitted, and she hoped her roommates didn't think she complained too much. "Brandon will be there, and this is all I have to wear," she gestured down at the simple clothes Flora had given her. When they went to classes, she borrowed some of the pieces her suitemates had given her, and she hadn't thought much about her lack of wardrobe. Now, however, seeing the regal dresses her friends sported, she realized how much she was lacking.

Stella dropped her gown on the couch, reaching for her clutch. "No friend of mine is going to feel apparel shame. There's a very simple solution-we head to Magix and go for a shopping spree!" she said excitedly.

Bloom inwardly cringed, knowing she had no way of paying for new clothes but not sure how to communicate it.

Techna must have seen the apprehension on her face and spoke up next. "Really, Bloom, you do need more clothes, we should've taken you shopping when you first got here."

"And don't worry about the cost," Stella said, as if reading her mind.

"I can't let you pay for me—"

"Consider it a gift from the Solarian royal family. You can use my shopping budget for the month. Really, Bloom, I want you too."

Knowing better than to argue with the blonde once she had her mind set, Bloom agreed, hoping she could pay her back someday.

They didn't have to wait long for the daily shuttle that left for Magix, and the ride into the city was almost instantaneous. Well within her element, the group let Stella lead the way confidently to their first store. She announced they'd start with everyday clothes, before moving onto the more specific formal wear. She also forbade each of the girls from showing Bloom any price tags.

The boutiques were similar enough to any she'd seen in Chicago and functioned much the same; they went through the racks methodically, pulling anything that would pop against her pale skin or red hair. The idea of Stella paying for her still made her uneasy, but once she squashed it down, she could admit that what they were doing was loads of fun. She'd never gone on a shopping spree before, and watching her new friends get excited for her was infectious.

They took the armfuls of clothing into the dressing room, and one by one she tried on each garment, leaving the dressing room after each outfit to give her friends a fashion show. They all were mostly unanimous in what they did and didn't like, though Stella and Techna occasionally butted heads over practicality and functionality.

When she'd built up a sizable stack, uneasiness set in. Even with Stella's promise that she didn't mind paying, Bloom couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing this much clothing had to be expensive. Even the other girls seemed to share the sentiment. Stella continued to bring more for her try on, even though Techna reminded her they still had to buy formal wear and likely couldn't carry all of this back. Flora simply looked uneasy. Musa, usually the quiet one of the group, voiced her concern that if they bought everything today, they'd have no excuse to come back shopping later. Stella gave no heed to the girls and had armfuls of clothes paid for and shrunk into bags without fanfare.

"Now," she said, determinedly, "time for a dress for the International Conference."

Bloom didn't recognize the event, and Flora was quick to jump in. "We better just get a dress for tonight and head back; we're going to miss the last shuttle. And we still have to get ready for the ball."

Begrudgingly, Stella complied, and marched them over to a store with a practically flaming dress in the window. Bloom hung back, whispering to Techna, "how much was that, really?"

"Don't worry," she said, "you're not going to bankrupt the Solarian monarchy. I just don't understand where her obsession is coming from. Though, this is Stella we're talking about."

The conversation ceased at their next destination. They were all worn out by now, having spent hours in the last boutique-finding a dress had gone from an outing into a chore, and they rifled through the racks with much less enthusiasm than before. Bloom settled on the first dress that she liked, not having the patience to look at options, like Stella insisted.

Musa practically dragged the princess out of the boutique, who was suddenly saying she wanted to try on a few gowns herself. "If we don't start getting ready soon, we're going to be late, and Griselda will turn us into one of those mannequins."

/\/\/\

At precisely five-thirty, she arrived in the parlor with Musa and Techna. Flora and Stella were arriving elsewhere, as royalty from both schools were being presented at the Ball. "It would be too time consuming if they presented all of us," Stella had explained. So, instead the three non-royals of the suite entered the Ball with each other, dresses trailing behind them. It took almost everything for Bloom not to stomp on the train in front of her, which extended practically two feet from the woman wearing it. How could you possibly dance in that?

The pages opened the doors after banging their sticks that Bloom still didn't know the name of, and the parade of young women began. Once in was their turn to enter, her eyes widened to take in as much as possible. Thick, velvet curtains were pulled to each side and held back by gold sashes, revealing giant windows that went to the ceiling of the room. Hundreds of candles floated in the sky of the ballroom, yet no wax dripped to the floor. The marble floor shone like it had never seen a pair of shoes, and each of the massive fireplaces contained a roaring flame, though the room remained pleasantly cool. There were couches scattered along the sides of the ballroom, and a large bar off to the side with a few tables and chairs near it.

Many of the Red Fountain boys were already here, each adorned with their formal red jackets, dripping with medals and cords displaying their individual achievements. Some lounged on the plush couches, some leaned against walls while they spoke, but no one had approached the middle of the floor.

The three were among the first to arrive in the room, as Techna had predicted. They mingled with other girls from Alfea, with only Musa's eyes scanning the room in search of Riven. Servers handed them each a goblet of sparkling, amber liquid, and Techna warned her to sip slowly. The scent alone gave away the alcoholic nature of the drink, and she couldn't help but feel much older and much more confident holding the crystal glass, despite everyone around her holding one as well.

She sipped on it as they waited for each and every royal at either school to be announced as they walked into the ballroom. She understood what Stella meant earlier; even when they only presented the crown royalty between the schools, it was still a lengthy show. Stella clearly wasn't the only princess, and Bloom started on her second drink in an effort to alleviate her boredom.

"Where's Stella?" she whispered to Musa, as the ceremony drew on.

"The order is based on country ranking in the realm, and Solaria is one of the highest. She'll be one of the last."

Techna pointed at a prince wearing a well decorated uniform and modest crown as he entered the room. "That's the crown prince of my country, Jayne. He's probably going to come over and say hi, there aren't many of Zenieth at our schools right now. Don't be nervous."

Before she could respond, Stella appeared on the stage, a glittering tiara of sunset colored jewels resting on her head. For all the girl's vanity, she seemed as fed up with the lengthy presentation of royals as the rest of the party; it had been over twenty minutes, and Bloom was on the final sips of her drink once again, while still more presentations were made.

"Only a few more kingdoms after Stella. Flora's last. Once she's presented, it's over."

"Is Linphea the highest country in the realm?" Bloom asked, surprised.

"No, not at all. But she's the only reigning monarch, so she outranks princes and princesses by default."

A girl in Bloom's charms class was announced, followed by Prince Sky, who looked oddly out of place and uncomfortable on the stage. A hush fell over the room as Sky descended the steps into the ballroom, and Flora took her place at the entrance. A renewed sense of attention seemed to have appeared, and each and every eye was very invested on the fairy of flowers.

"Queen Flora of Linphea!" the page called out.

She smiled at the crowd, and with more grace than Bloom could have asked for with that much attention, descended the stairs and made her way over to the girls of Pine Suite immediately.

With her on the move, the rest of the ballroom faded into their respective groups and the dancing took place. The colors of the girls' dresses, the light suddenly dancing off of the military ornaments and crown jewels, and the glittering chandeliers created a dazzling strobe effect-one that was making Bloom's head spin the more she looked at it.

Techna looked over, seeming to notice her sudden headrush. "I told you to be careful drinking," she said, disapprovingly.

"I did, I'm fine," Bloom protested, though she felt uncomfortably warm.

"Let's find you a glass of water," Flora said, taking her arm. "You just need something else in your system."

Clutching onto her roommate's arm, the two began walking around the outskirts of the dancing towards an exit in the back. The two pages guarding the door initially refused to let them leave, but quickly obliged when they realized who exactly they were answering to.

"Why couldn't we just find something in the ballroom?" Bloom asked, sad to be leaving such a beautiful party so soon. She'd never been to something so formal and didn't want to waste a minute of it.

"You kind of need to walk it off before anyone sees you," Flora said gently. "You look like a bit flushed."

She knew somewhere in her mind that she should be embarrassed, but the alcohol was dampening her inhibition. Still, she felt guilty dragging Flora away, and was about to say as much when the young queen started speaking. "Besides, I needed a bit of a break myself."
"Overwhelmed?"

"Kind of. I'm used to being stared at by a crowd-Rose and I did see the people sometimes-but something about being in front of all our classmates and the boys made it so much worse. At least this is the only event we go through the whole presentation thing for."

The girls lounged in their empty suite for a while, snacking on crackers while Bloom sobered up and Flora calmed down. They had just begun to clean up, ready to return to the dance, when Bloom noticed a sound come from Stella's room.

Confused, she walked over, noticing movement coming from behind the clouded glass door. Motioning Flora over with her hand, they both ducked behind the couch, peering over it to stare at the motion becoming increasingly visible in the Solarian's chambers. By the shape of the dark form, silhouetted against the moonlight from Stella's window, it was chillingly clear what was happening-somebody had broken into their suite.

"We should get help," Bloom hissed.

"All of the guards are at the ball, we're not supposed to be up here," Flora responded, her eyes looking wide and fearful.

"Why are they in Stella's room?"

Flora frowned, seemingly perplexed by the same question. Her voice raised a fraction too loud when it struck her, "her ring!"

The noise and the motion where instantly extinguished, and Bloom and Flora ducked as low below the couches of their parlor as possible. At the last second, she realized her massive skirt peaked out behind the edge and pulled it in close in an effort to hide, her heart pounding.

The door swung open, and an invisible voice hissed, "Icy! Shut it!"

"Relax, Stormy, I told you; they're all at the party. Just get what we came for and let's leave, it's got to be around here somewhere."

The two young fairies stared at one another in horror while the intruder exited Stella's room, working her way towards them in a reckless search. Pots of vibrant flowers Flora kept meticulously groomed were crashed to the floor, and the Queen flinched in anger. Her eyes moved from terror to resolve as the chaos grew closer to their hiding spot, creeping up on them with each passing breath.

She bolted upright, blading her hands forward in a motion that felt hauntingly familiar. Just had Stella had done, she was bathed in a brilliant light and Bloom shut her eyes instinctively. When they opened, her roommate had grown wings, and taken a defensive stance against their intruders.

"What—"

Having caught Icy off guard, Flora spit out a spell before she realized the fairy was there. Bloom stared, stunned, as the ivy climbing on wall of their veranda shattered the class of the doors and attacked on Flora's command.

Unsure what to do, Bloom crouched motionless in her hiding spot, crushing her skirts around her. The surprise attack was a good shot, but Flora was just as soon pushed back onto the coffee table by a rush of icy air that seemed to chill them both to the core.

"Run! Get help!" she hissed.

She tried to scramble to her feet, but her feet grew tangled in the layers of fabric and heels and she ungracefully faceplanted onto the cold marble floor, noticing a thin layer of ice crystals beginning to form.

A heeled shoe clicked the ground beside her, and she looked up to see a woman glaring down at her, with hair cascading to the floor and eyes locked on Bloom. "What do we have here?"

Flora drew in a sharp breath, a spell just on her lips, but Icy's arm was up before she could finish. She shot a gust of air over to the Queen, pulling it back sharply and taking the breath from her lungs along with it. Flora coughed, pulling in her knees and gasping for air, and Bloom tried hooking a hand around Icy's leg in a vain attempt to knock her down.

"What, are you gonna bite my ankle?" she sneered, and her companions laughed venomously. She stamped her heel across the red hair sprawled across the floor, and Bloom winced in pain.

"Icy, it isn't here," a voice said, exiting Stella's room. How many of you are there?

Icy dropped to a crouch in front of Bloom, pulling her up by the chin to stare directly into her eyes. Her hair screamed in protest. "Where is the ring of Solaria?"

"And why would we tell you?" Flora coughed, glaring.

"Fairy, I will pluck the wings from your back," Icy threatened. "Tell me where it is, now!"

"Back off!" Bloom shouted, though it sounded rather lackluster. "I have magic powers!"

Her face morphed into one of pure amusement, like someone watching a child play pretend. "Oh yeah? Show me something then."

"She can't even transform," the one still inside Stella's room snaked her way out, mocking the Earthling. "I bet she's one of the maids they dressed up for the night."

"She does look like a pity party, doesn't she?"

I'll show you a pity party, she thought, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"Probably a public service project for one of the seniors. Dress up one of the common people and let them play princess for an evening, it's cute," Icy mocked. Her friends circled the two girls, snapping spells at Flora anytime she tried to move or fight back.
They were getting their asses handed to them. Why couldn't she transform like Flora? Was it really that hard? Why-

"Alright ladies, enough playing. Finish them and let's get back to looking before the rest of the pixies come home."

"I call Queeny," said the one with the wild hair, in an almost sing song voice.

As she raised her hands before Flora, who was using all her strength just to pull her arms in front of her face, Bloom felt the same burning travel down her skin as she had that night in Chicago. She shut her eyes, focusing on her hands, trying to remember the shapes and sounds Techna had tried to teach her.

"Ignis!" she shouted.

The tips of her fingers burned, like she'd touched a hot pan, and more glass shattered to the floor. The tension on her hair vanished with one final tug. Opening her eyes, she saw the three intruders knocked to the ground. Her own hold released, Flora leapt off the table, rushing over to stand beside Bloom.

At her command, the vines and flowers came back to life, stacking up along side Flora like a snake prepared to strike. "Now get out of our rooms!" she hissed, uncharacteristically venomous. Bloom planted her feet beside her roommate, attempting to look as ready to attack as she was. Looking down, she realized that like Flora, she wore a dazzling dress made of some unhuman material. Her balance was altered, her senses were heightened and when she reached her arm around, she felt the silky wings she'd coveted since she day she'd arrived.

At that instant the large door to the suite swung open behind them, slapping the wall with the force. Guards streamed into the room, drawing their swords and taking stance between the fairies and intruders. Griselda came up from behind and yanked them out by the arms, moving to stand between them and the room suddenly lit with spells.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, looking over their disheveled state. "What happened?"

She barely heard the Dean's words. Instead she stared over at her shoulder as the Alfea guards pushed inwards, backing them towards the wall, and Icy's eyes locked with Bloom's.

"This isn't over!" she spat.

And with a wave of Darcy's hand, the three vanished into the thin air.


So fight scenes aren't my thang, but I'm learning.

My favorite thing to do after I publish a chapter is look at the stats and see where all my readers are from around the world. I get so excited to see countries like Mauritius or Israel or Croatia that are so far from me and so different from where I live. I've been writing on FF for over ten years now (on accounts that I will deny running) and it's always been amazing to me to know I made a connection to someone on the other side of the world through reading and writing.

I always appreciate reviews (including critiques and ways to improve—thank you sandy!), but right now I'd also really love hearing where you are in the world and what your life looks like right now.

Be safe everyone! And a big thank you to all the health care providers who are making it through some ungodly working conditions.

Hannah